The old Weigh In building was constructed in 1910 and was restrictive in size, although more importantly, its position was remote from the Parade Ring and the jockeys have to walk back and forth through a crowd of racegoers, which was not ideal.

With the construction of the new Pre-Parade ring came the opportunity to construct a new Weigh-In building. This is the primary element in the family of buildings that give enclosure to the Pre-Parade ring. The new Weigh-In building is a two storey building, primarily to give scale and enclosure to the Pre-Parade Ring, with the ground floor dedicated to racing requirements and the first floor for hospitality use.

The differing uses are articulated in the heavier/ more enclosed brick base at ground level and the lighter / more open timber structure at first floor level. The roof is broken down to articulate the individual volumes of the upper floor rooms and reduce the overall scale of the building.

The building sits between the Pre-Parade Ring and the public path but its primary elevation is on its end, that faces onto the Parade Ring.

We have sought to recreate the ‘verandah’ of the old Weigh-In as a transitional space between indoor/outdoor space and appropriate to the building function. We stripped back the brickwork at the ends and placed a decorative metalwork screen with the coloured ‘barber poles’ that are a characteristic of the racecourse. We see this is as a piece of artwork, akin to a ‘rood screen’ in a church.

2015 York Design Awards Winner – Large Non-Residential Category